Hillman Hunter, Hunted, Caught and to be Executed.

[whitevanman]

Rather the point of it I suspect......no point in an incentive that doesn't work

[boobydoo]

 

A photo of the very car?

 

As a previous owner of two Hunters I would be genuinely saddened if this has gone to the scrapper.

 

The Topaz was a Limited Edition of 1500 sold late 1975/1976. All had:

 

Copperbeech metallic,

Vinyl roof,

Rostyle wheels

Push-button radio

Fawn brushed nylon seats

Servo-assisted brakes

Side repeater flashes

Overdrive

Inertia reel seatbelts.

 

A lovely looking car in my opinion.

 

The Hunter was getting a bit long in the tooth by 1975 and with the UK launch of the Chrysler Alpine imminent ,its days were pretty much numbered.

[dollywobbler]

Dang. Well there you go - the second car I remember my Dad owning was actually a rare Hillman Hunter Topaz. I remember the rear bling and overdrive well. Not to mention the rot at the front of the front wings... (it would have been about ten years old!)

[Lankytim]

Short of walking into the breakers with a machine gun, theres fuck all anyone can do. Thats whats so upsetting about this scrappage scheme, you can complain or moan all you want and nobody will listen :(Still, atleast the Government is being scrapped on the 6th of May. Unfortunately theres nothing worth salvaging.

[dollywobbler]

It's quite like scrappage really. Get rid of the current one, get a new one and discover that while it's a bit more flash, it actually costs even more to run and the appeal soon wears off and despite promises, you've actually got less cash in your pocket. Shite. Looks like I need a spell in the Grumpy thread!!

[seth]

Argh! I'm gonna have to phone them up tomorrow. Fancy a trip to the Suffolk coast Pog?

[wuvvum]

 

A photo of the very car?

That's her alright. When and where was that taken? I'm going to save that picture - that's how I want to remember her.

[wuvvum]

Sorry, just found the website the picture was on. I've emailed the webmaster to let him know - if Seth and Pog can't get to it hopefully he'll be able to do something about salvaging the good bits.

[boobydoo]

Don't know how long ago it was taken but looks in damned fine nick. I know there is a mint 20,000 miler still in existence.

[CortinaDave]

Looks like its death warrant was signed today as its now off the DVLA computer. Hopefully shiters can at least save parts! I hate seeing rare motors like this get cubed for no good reason :(Seth - as daft as it sounds get the centre caps from the rostyles. They fetch £40 upwards on the bay. In fact take the wheels if you can.. Hillman wheels are the same as ford are they not?massive OMG GENUINE FORD FIT RWD ROSTYLE scene tax benefits to be had.

[Spottedlaurel]

The chap who runs Sole Bay is a nice enough bloke. I've seen all sorts of interesting things there through the years, it's not a crushing-type place just an old-fashioned scrapyard. He does do export, maybe this will end up in Iran?!

[dollywobbler]

Pah! Needs to update his website. Got all excited about the 2CV but it is long, long gone!

[seth]

Hopefully shiters can at least save parts!

Well, I'll see what they say when I call tomorrow. I think it will only be financially (ie cost of time) viable for me if I can do some sort of deal and strip a whole heap of stuff I don't need myself off it to pass on to others. SL, sounds good if its more of an old fashioned place.

[pogweasel]

Argh! I'm gonna have to phone them up tomorrow. Fancy a trip to the Suffolk coast Pog?

ONLY IF I GET AN ICED CREAM.

[seth]

[pogweasel]

That's it. I'm IN.

[Mr H Sceptre]

This thread has made me sad. Thats one lovely Hunter.

[HillmanImp]

That's it. I'm IN.

Dammit, when I read this I thought I was reading the tail end of a plot to go and rescue the Hunter in the hours of darkness SAS styleee.Although ice cream is almost as good.It is a shocker that this is getting scrapped. Hopefully it will be the last really harsh one we get.

[seth]

Paperwork is currently under process on the Hunter and I've been told its not going to get crushed whole and will be broken. I've expressed an interest in parts and the guy said to call back in a couple of days once things have been cleared and they've decided what's going on with it...He did say it was a good, sound car though

[Cavcraft]

It'd be a travesty to see that wasted.Regarding this scrappage malarkey are the rules just that the car has MOT and you've owned it a year?Only I wonder how you'd fare if you stripped a car of any good/rare parts and just took what was basically a rolling shell down to the dealers? Hell you might even be able to keep the engine?

[fiatdaft]

has to drive onto the transporter i'm afraid.

[whitevanman]

Paperwork is currently under process on the Hunter and I've been told its not going to get crushed whole and will be broken. I've expressed an interest in parts and the guy said to call back in a couple of days once things have been cleared and they've decided what's going on with it...He did say it was a good, sound car though

tell them to cut the chassis plate out and thats all the proof they need that its been scrapped thats how we a re "saving" some of them up here

[Lankytim]

If you owned a private collection that never saw the road, or a museum of some description then im sure the VIN being cut out could work. Just de-identify it and bobs your uncle. I bet a static display in Coventry Motor Museum or similar would raise a few eyebrows "Scrappage victim, never to see the roads again". The scrappy would be happy as they know the car wont re-appear on the roads (on the same plates, atleast) so theyd be happy.I remember there was someone on e.bay selling whole scrappage cars "for spares only" so people do let scrappage cars go whole.Actually, maybe its more hassle to the scrappy than its worth.

[dollywobbler]

Seth - if you do get to go and strip it, let me know as it might be of interest to tag along and lend a hand. Though if they strip it, that rather takes the fun out of it!

[wuvvum]

Yeah, let me know too - I'd quite like to say goodbye to the old gal.

[seth]

Thanks for offers. We'll see what happens over the next few days. As I said before I'd have to do it on a weekday though.I'm sure some scrappage cars could (and have?) been saved by a bit of ID swapping.

[garbaldy]

I'm sure some scrappage cars could (and have?) been saved by a bit of ID swapping.

yup they sure do i did hear off one that had been fidled through the system but no doubght a few more would have slipped through the net its nice to know that atleast some off this old gal will get the chance to live on.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

If you owned a private collection that never saw the road, or a museum of some description then im sure the VIN being cut out could work. Just de-identify it and bobs your uncle. I bet a static display in Coventry Motor Museum or similar would raise a few eyebrows "Scrappage victim, never to see the roads again". The scrappy would be happy as they know the car wont re-appear on the roads (on the same plates, atleast) so theyd be happy.

Isn't this pretty much what happened with that lovely Morris Minor which was scrappaged? The scrap dealer "loaned" it permanently to a museum.

[Spottedlaurel]

Seth - if you do get to go and strip it, let me know as it might be of interest to tag along and lend a hand. Though if they strip it, that rather takes the fun out of it!

This is no fancy modern yard, if it's at Sole Bay. Very much a case of you remove what you want yourself. It might be that he's finding out whether there's any export market or potential for it to be sold as a ID-less/rolling shell for historic stock car/banger before he lets anyone loose on it removing parts.

[retrogeezer]

It needs ringing....